McCleneghan was eagerly waiting to share the ball with Mitchell Johnson

It was a sensational bowling performance by the Mumbai Indians bowlers which kept their winning streak in Vivo IPL 10 intact as the pace brigade of MI restricted Delhi daredevils to 128 after making a moderate 142 after batting first. It was a below par performance by the home batsmen but their bowlers made up for their poor work and their sensational bowling left the visitors reeling at 24/6 at a certain stage.

It was the Kiwi pacer Mitchell McCleneghan who derailed the visitors’ progress with wickets at regular intervals. This was the same bowler who was smashed hammers and tongs by the Kings XI skipper Glenn Maxwell as the left-arm seamer ended up conceding more than 50 runs in his allotted 4 overs.

But his fortunes changed dramatically as he finished with figures of 3/24 yesterday which were instrumental in handing the hosts a well-earned victory. It was a great comeback by the pacer and he also enjoyed his time bowling with the Aussie pacer Mitchell Johnson. During an interaction with iplt20.com, Johnson said that McCleneghan told him prior to the match that he was waiting to share the ball with him.

“He actually told me he was keen to bowl with me throughout this tournament and was really excited. It was really nice to bowl with a fellow left-armer. He was telling me that in his first game for his state team, he had the same action as mine. It makes you feel really special that a guy who looks up to you, a guy who has his own skills and own background, does well for the team. It is really cool. I thought he did an exceptional job tonight. We backed each other up with the ball. We were able to work in partnerships. I always say it is good bowling with another left-armer and we should be doing that often,” Johnson said.

Speaking on the Kagiso Rabada-Chris Morris partnership which kept DD in the game till the penultimate over, Johnson said, “I think this was a different wicket as normally in Mumbai you get a nice bounce and pace, you get value for your shots. I think the new ball was the best time to score. We didn’t get the total that we normally would, but I think it was probably close to par on this wicket.

There was no stress when we came out. We wanted to bowl to our plans. We got that run-out early and that got the momentum going. They had a good partnership in the middle, but we kept bowling in tough areas and stuck with it. I think we bowled well and forced them to take risks. We fielded well and got the result in our favour. We stuck to our guns.

He was also asked about his preparations for such a big tournament like IPL especially when he has retired from r cricket and doesn’t get to play too often. “It is something I have worked on in the last year. It is something new. I hadn’t played for three months. I came here early to do a bit of extra work. Back home it is tough to get outdoor training. I did some stuff with my team WA (Western Australia). To get here early was the key for me. I always stay fit and healthy. To get that cricket rhythm was about getting here and getting used to the conditions. I was really excited to get that adrenaline rush and that feeling of playing again. It is just about getting out there and playing again.

I need not bowl 1000 balls to get the rhythm but it is about keeping fresh and bowling just enough to get rhythm. I enjoyed myself. I tried to bowl as fast as I could and used my change ups and had fun while doing it. What’s important is performing well as a unit. It does not matter who comes in or is out. I didn’t get any wickets today, but Jasprit Bumrah got two and McClenaghan got three. It is about celebrating each other’s success. I love celebrating others success. I loved celebrating with those guys. It is a team sport. You have got to do your role in the team.